THE PRESIDENT: Diplomatic representatives of the
coalition of nations; members of the Congress, the Cabinet, the Supreme
Court; members of the American Armed Forces; military coalition members
from around the world; distinguished guests; and ladies and
gentlemen. Welcome to the White House.

We have come together to mark a terrible day, to reaffirm a just
and vital cause, and to thank the many nations that share our resolve
and will share our common victory.

Six months separate us from September the 11th. Yet, for
the families of the lost, each day brings new pain; each day requires
new courage. Your grace and strength have been an example to
our nation. America will not forget the lives that were
taken, and the justice their death requires.

We face an enemy of ruthless ambition, unconstrained by law or
morality. The terrorists despise other religions and have
defiled their own. And they are determined to expand the
scale and scope of their murder. The terror that targeted
New York and Washington could next strike any center of
civilization. Against such an enemy, there is no immunity,
and there can be no neutrality.

Many nations and many families have lived in the shadows of
terrorism for decades -- enduring years of
mindless and merciless killing. September the 11th was not
the beginning of global terror, but it was the beginning of the world's
concerted response. History will know that day not only as a
day of tragedy, but as a day of decision -- when
the civilized world was stirred to anger and to action. And
the terrorists will remember September 11th as the day their reckoning
began.

A mighty coalition of civilized nations is now defending our common
security. Terrorist assets have been
frozen. Terrorist front groups have been
exposed. A terrorist regime has been toppled from
power. Terrorist plots have been unraveled, from Spain to
Singapore. And thousands of terrorists have been brought to
justice, are in prison, or are running in fear of their lives.

With us today are representatives from many of our partners in this
great work, and we're proud to display their flags at the White House
this morning. From the contributions these nations have
made -- some well known, others
not -- I am honored to extend the deepest
gratitude of the people of the United States.

The power and vitality of our coalition have been proven in
Afghanistan. More than half of the forces now assisting the
heroic Afghan fighters, or providing security in Kabul, are from
countries other than the United States. There are many
examples of commitment: our good ally, France, has deployed
nearly one-fourth of its navy to support Operation Enduring Freedom,
and Great Britain has sent its largest naval task force in
20 years. British and American special operations
forces have fought beside teams from Australia, and Canada, Norway,
Denmark and Germany. In total, 17 nations have forces
deployed in the region. And we could not have done our work
without critical support from countries, particularly like Pakistan and
Uzbekistan.

Japanese destroyers are refueling coalition ships in the Indian
Ocean. The Turkish air force has refueled American
planes. Afghans are receiving treatment in hospitals built
by Russians, Jordanians, Spanish, and have received supplies and help
from South Korea.

Nations in our coalition have shared in the responsibilities and
sacrifices of our cause. On the day before September the
11th, I met with Prime Minister John Howard of Australia, who spoke of
the common beliefs and shared affection of our two
countries. We could not have known that bond was about to be
proven again in war, and we could not have known its human
cost. Last month, Sergeant Andrew Russell of the Australian
Special Air Service, died in Afghanistan. He left behind his
wife, Kylie, and their daughter, Leisa, just 11 days
old. Friends said of Sergeant Russell, "You could rely on
him never to let you down."

This young man, and many like him, have not let us
down. Each life taken from us is a terrible
loss. We have lost young people from Germany, and Denmark,
and Afghanistan, and America. We mourn each
one. And for their bravery in a noble cause, we honor them.

Part of that cause was to liberate the Afghan people from terrorist
occupation, and we did so. Next week, the schools reopen in
Afghanistan. They will be open to
all -- and many young girls will go to school for
the first time in their young
lives. (Applause.) Afghanistan has many difficult
challenges ahead -- and, yet, we've averted mass
starvation, begun clearing mine fields, rebuilding roads and improving
health care. In Kabul, a friendly government is now an
essential member of the coalition against terror.

Now that the Taliban are gone and al Qaeda has lost its home base
for terrorism, we have entered the second stage of the war on
terror -- a sustained campaign to deny sanctuary
to terrorists who would threaten our citizens from anywhere in the
world.

In Afghanistan, hundreds of trained killers are now
dead. Many have been captured. Others are still
on the run, hoping to strike again. These terrorist fighters
are the most committed, the most dangerous, and the least likely to
surrender. They are trying to regroup, and we'll stop
them. For five months in Afghanistan, our coalition has been
patient and relentless. And more patience and more courage
will be required. We're fighting a fierce battle in the
Shah-i-kot Mountains, and we're winning. Yet, it will not be
the last battle in Afghanistan. And there will be other
battles beyond that nation.

For terrorists fleeing Afghanistan -- for any
terrorist looking for a base of operations, there must be no refuge, no
safe haven. (Applause.) By driving terrorists
from place to place, we disrupt the planning and training for further
attacks on America and the civilized world. Every terrorist
must be made to live as an international fugitive, with no place to
settle or organize, no place to hide, no governments to hide behind,
and not even a safe place to sleep.

I have set a clear policy in the second stage of the war on
terror: America encourages and expects governments
everywhere to help remove the terrorist parasites that threaten their
own countries and peace of the
world. (Applause.) If governments need training,
or resources to meet this commitment, America will help.

We are helping right now in the Philippines, where terrorists with
links to al Qaeda are trying to seize the southern part of the country
to establish a militant regime. They are oppressing local
peoples, and have kidnapped both American and Filipino
citizens. America has sent more than 500 troops
to train Philippine forces. We stand with President Arroyo,
who is courageously opposing the threat of terror.

In the Republic of Georgia, terrorists working closely with al
Qaeda operate in the Pankisi Gorge near the Russian
border. At President Shevardnadze's request, the United
States is planning to send up to 150 military trainers to prepare
Georgian soldiers to reestablish control in this lawless
region. This temporary assistance serves the interests of
both our countries.

In Yemen, we are working to avert the possibility of another
Afghanistan. Many al Qaeda recruits come from near the
Yemen-Saudi Arabian border, and al Qaeda may try to reconstitute itself
in remote corners of that region. President Saleh has
assured me that he is committed to confronting this
danger. We will help Yemeni forces with both training and
equipment to prevent that land from becoming a haven for terrorists.

In the current stage of the war, our coalition is opposing not a
nation, but a network. Victory will come over time, as that
network is patiently and steadily dismantled. This will
require international cooperation on a number of
fronts: diplomatic, financial and military. We
will not send American troops to every battle, but America will
actively prepare other nations for the battles ahead. This
mission will end when the work is
finished -- when terror networks of global reach
have been defeated. The havens and training camps of terror
are a threat to our lives and to our way of life, and they will be
destroyed. (Applause.)

At the same time, every nation in our coalition must take seriously
the growing threat of terror on a catastrophic
scale -- terror armed with biological, chemical,
or nuclear weapons. America is now consulting with friends
and allies about this greatest of dangers, and we're determined to
confront it.

Here is what we already know: some states that sponsor
terror are seeking or already possess weapons of mass destruction;
terrorist groups are hungry for these weapons, and would use them
without a hint of conscience. And we know that these
weapons, in the hands of terrorists, would unleash blackmail and
genocide and chaos.

These facts cannot be denied, and must be confronted. In
preventing the spread of weapons of mass destruction, there is no
margin for error, and no chance to learn from mistakes. Our
coalition must act deliberately, but inaction is not an
option. (Applause.) Men with no respect for life
must never be allowed to control the ultimate instruments of
death. (Applause.)

Gathered here today, we are six months
along -- a short time in a long
struggle. And our war on terror will be judged by its
finish, not by its start. More dangers and sacrifices lie
ahead. Yet, America is prepared. Our resolve has
only grown, because we remember. We remember the horror and
heroism of that morning -- the death of children
on a field trip, the resistance of passengers on a doomed airplane, the
courage of rescuers who died with strangers they were trying to
save. And we remember the video images of terrorists who
laughed at our loss.

Every civilized nation has a part in this struggle, because every
civilized nation has a stake in its outcome. There can be no
peace in a world where differences and grievances become an excuse to
target the innocent for murder. In fighting terror, we fight
for the conditions that will make lasting peace possible. We
fight for lawful change against chaotic violence, for human choice
against coercion and cruelty, and for the dignity and goodness of every
life.

Every nation should know that, for America, the war on terror is
not just a policy, it's a pledge. I will not relent in this
struggle for the freedom and security of my country and the civilized
world. (Applause.)

And we'll succeed. (Applause.) There will be
a day when the organized threat against America, our friends and allies
is broken. And when the terrorists are disrupted and
scattered and discredited, many old conflicts will appear in a new
light -- without the constant fear and cycle of
bitterness that terrorists spread with their violence. We
will see then that the old and serious disputes can be settled within
the bounds of reason, and goodwill, and mutual
security. I see a peaceful world beyond the war on terror,
and with courage and unity, we are building that world together.

Any nation that makes an unequivocal commitment against terror can
join this cause. Every nation of goodwill is
welcome. And, together, we will face the peril of our
moment, and seize the promise of our times.